Attachment for artificial limbs



March 28, 1939. I 1-, KQHL, 1 2,152,141

ATTACHMENT FOR ARTIFICIAL LIMBS FiIed J u1y 9, 1957 ZSheets-Sheet 1 A ttbrney March 28, 1939.

T. KOHL ATTACHMENT FOR ARTJIFTEIAL- muss- 25 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 9, L937 KMIII ILIII III II lk willwnlllllllll, u o

tilllllrlllllllll.

. Aitorn eys Patented Mar. 28, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

The present invention relates to artificial limbs and has for its primary object to provide a knee strap adapted for encircling the leg at the knee joint and having a plurality of elastic straps extending therefrom for attaching to the upper portion of the artificial limb.

One of the important objects of the present invention is to provide a knee strap of this character which embodies a pad covering the knee cap and providing a proper degree of flexibility to prevent interference with the free movement of the knee cap.

Another object is to provide a support for a lower artificial limb without necessitating the use of a thigh corset knee joints or suspender straps, although the device is adaptable for temporarily attaching a shoulder strap or belt unitil the user becomes accustomed to the knee attachment.

A still further object is to provide an attachment of this character of simple and practical construction, strong and durable, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference be-- ing had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout and in which Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a persons leg showing the artificial limb attaching strap in position thereon.

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the attaching strap.

Figure 3 is a top plan view.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the knee cap pad with parts broken away and shown in section and Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view through the knee cap pad.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein for the purpose of illustration I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of invention, the numeral 5 designates a limb encircling strap generally which includes a front knee cap covering portion 6 having its lower edge rolled as at 1 and curved downwardly to cover the knee cap of the leg, the lower edges of the strap 5 being inclined upwardly toward the rear, as shown at 8, the ends of the strap being attached or connected by a buckle 9 at the side of the leg as will be apparent from an inspection of Fig. 1 of the drawings.

The strap 5 is formed of relative soft leather and the front or knee cap portion is formed of outer and inner layers l and II, shown in detail in Figure of the drawings, the upper and lower edges of the outer layer In being provided with inwardly extending slits I2 and I3 extend- 5 ing at an angle inclined from the vertical and the split edges are secured in overlapped relation, as will be apparent from an inspection on Figure 2 of the drawings and secured by stitching M. These slits enable the construction of 10 the knee cap covering portion of the strap to have a proper curved shape to conform to the curvature of the knee cap.

Between the outer and inner layers [0 and II of the knee cap portion of the strap are secured upper and lower reenforcing leather strips I5 and I6, Figure 4, secured in position by stitching H. The adjacent edges of the strips l5 and 16 are out with shallow notches 18, more clearly shown in Fig. c of the drawings, to provide for the 20 proper flexing movement of the knee cap pad during the bending of the leg of the wearer.

To the outer surface of the knee cap portion of the strap 5, and offset from the center thereof, is secured a pair of elastic straps 19, said elastic straps depending from the strap 5. A rear non-elastic strap 2| also has its upper edge secured to the rear of the strap 5 and its lower end secured to the rear portion of the artificial limb 20. The upper and lower ends of the elastic straps 19 are reenforced by leather tabs 22 and 23 which are sewed to the elastic strap and the lower tabs 23 are fastened to rivet buttons or screws 24 which may be adjustably secured to the artificial limb to provide for the proper adjustment of the tension of the straps.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the limb encircling strap 5 and elastic straps l9 and 2| depending therefrom will secure the artificial limb 20 in a proper position below the leg 25 of the wearer, and the flexibility of the knee cap portion of the pad will yield to the bending of the leg without interference.

While I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of my invention it is obvious minor changes 5 in the arrangement and combination of parts may be resorted to so long as they fall within the scope of the invention above described and as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention what I claim is:

1. Leg encircling means adapted to be removably secured on the leg at the knee thereof and used for the connection and suspension of an artificial leg, said means being curved conformably to the curvature of a knee cap and comprising outer and inner layers of flexible material, and upper and lower reinforcing leather strips interposed between said outer and inner layers and stitched thereto said strips having opposed notched edges of obtuse angled form to permit of flexing movement of said means incidental to the bending of the leg;

2. A support for a lower artificial limb comprising a leg encircling strap adapted for attaching to the leg at the knee thereof, said strap embodying an enlarged front portion for covering the knee cap, said front portion including inner and outer layers of flexible material, said outer layer of material having slits extending diagonally inwardly from its upper and lower edges and the material at each side of said slits being secured in overlapping relation to shape said front portion in conformity with the knee cap, upper and lower reenforcing strips secured between said inner and outer layers, said upper and lower strips having their adjacent edges spaced apart inwardly from the side edges thereof to provide for the flexing of said front portion of the strap, a pair of elastic straps positioned at opposite sides of the knee covering portion and a non-elastic strap positioned at the rear of the leg encircling strap, all of said strap connecting the leg encircling strap with the artificial limb.

3. Leg-encircling means adapted to be removably secured on the leg at the knee thereof, said means being curved conformably to the curvature of the kneecap and comprising outer and inner layers of flexible material terminating at their lower edges in a roll for preventing said edges from cutting the leg, and upper and lower reinforcing leather strips interposed between said outer and inner layers and stitched thereto, said strips having opposed notched edges of obtuseangled form to permit of flexing movement of said means incidental to the bending of the leg. 20

THOMAS KOHL. 

